Filling machine



May 1l, 1937. R. B. BAGBY FILLING MACHINE original Filed sepi. so, 1952Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE N Divided and thisapplication February 6, 1936, Serial No. 62,581

4 Claims.

My invention relates to machines for filling containers with viscousmaterials such as ice cream, cheese, salad dressing, etc., andparticularly to details of a multi-cylinder machine having novelfeatures of improvement. This application is a division of my copendingapplication, Pat. No. 2,032,163, filed September 30, 1932.

An object of my invention is to provide a lling machine adapted tosimultaneously deliver two kinds or colors of materials to a singlecontainer and to segregate such materials until actually delivered tothe container.

A further object is to provide a multiple cylinder machine o1 thecharacter described having the capacity for ready removal of all of theparts that contact the material being handled to enable cleaningthereof.

l The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which;

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with myinvention;

Fig. 2 is an end View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and; I-

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective View of the illling nozzle.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown a base I on which the parts ofthe machine about 3D to be described are mounted. For receiving aquantity of the material to be handled, a hopper I I is provided andextending diametrically thereacross is a partition I2 dividing thehopper into independent sections. At the discharge end of 35 the hopperis a casting I3, which is bolted onto overhanging arms at one end of themember I4. Secured to the underside of the casting I3 is'a valve housingI5 having an oscillatory j valve member I6 mounted in a bore therein.The 40 valve member I6 has tworecesses such as I1 therein. The valvemember I6 has trunnions at opposite ends thereof, one of which extendsthrough a cover plate I8 and has an arm I6 connected thereto. An opening20, Fig. 3, is pro- 45 videdin the valvehousing through whichcommunication is established between the opening and the recesses I1.On. the side of the valve housing opposite the inlet ZI is an outlet 22.Secured to the underside of the valve housing 50 I5 is a filling tube Tand this tube communicates with the outlet 22. A partition 23 dividesthe opening 23 into two parts and this partition is aligned with thepartition I2 in the hopper II. A partition 24 in the inlet 2| includes arounded 55 edge embracing the valve member I6 and this Apartition isaligned with the partition 23. A

partition 25 divides the outlet 22 into two parts and a partition 26divides the filling tube T into two parts. An inturned lip 21is providedat the lower end of the lling tube T and the cor- 5 ners of thepartition 26 are cut away as indicated at 28 so that the partition mayrest von the lip 21.

It ismanifest that the separated chambers `in the various parts areisolated from each other and consequently when diiierent materials areintrol0 duced into the hopper Il, these materials may beindependently'withdrawn from the separate compartments and independentlydischarged through the lling tube T. The foregoing arrangement enablesme to fill containers with 15 diiierent substances at the same time andif the viscosity `of the substances is lsufficient to prevent free owingthereof, the materials are segregated in the container.

In order to independently withdraw the mate- 0 rials from the separatecompartments in the hopper II, I provide` independent cylinders 29 and30 which are screw-threaded into the side of the valve housing insubstantially right-angular relationship with the inlet 2| and theoutlet 22, 25 independent openings such as 3l being provided inalignment with the cylinders `26 and 30. 'I'he base I0 includes anupstanding portion and projecting from the upper end `thereof parallelto the base are two rods 32 and 33. Sleeves 34 and 0 are respectivelyslidable along the rods 32 and 33 and are interconnected by a rod 36rotatable in bearings providedin the sleeves 34 and 35. Piston rods 31and 38 extend between the rod 36 and pistons such as 39 respectively re-3,. ciprocal in the cylinders` 29 and 30. One end of a pitman 4i! isrotatively connected to the rod "36, intermediate the piston rods 31 and38, and the end of thepitman opposite that connected to the rod 36 isenlarged and has an opening 4I 40 therein. A screw 42 extends into theopening 4I` from the free end of the pitman and has a lock nut 43thereonA to retain it in position. A stud 44 extends'through the opening4| and is connected to the disk 45 fast on the shaft 46. 45 The shaft 46is journaled in bearings provided in a gear case 41 in which gear case asuitable speed reducing mechanism is provided which is connected to ashaft of the motor 33. When the motor 48 is set in operation, the shaft46 is ro- 50` a track cam 49 is provided which is integral with the disk45, Fig. 1. Through the medium of suitable mechanism 50 and theconnecting rod 5|, movement is transmitted tol the arm I9 for rotatingthe valve in timed relation.

'Ihe parts are so timed that when the pistons are at the inner ends ofthe cylinders 29 and 30 and during the lost motion subsequent tomovement of the stud 44 through dead center position adjacent thecylinders, the track cam causes the valve member to be oscillated so asto position the recesses l1 in the full line position shown in Fig. 3and at the end of the lost motion the stud 44 engages the inner end ofthe screw 42 and consequently the pistons are caused to move rearwardlythrough the cylinders to withdraw material from the individualcompartments in the hopper and this material passes intov the cylinders.During the lost movement subsequent to movement of the stud 44 throughdead center position remote from the cylinders, the trackcam 49 causesthe valve member I6 to so move .that the recesses I1 are arranged in thebroken line position of Fig. 3 and at the end of the lost motion, thepistons move forwardly through the cylinders and, expel the materialfrom the cylinders whereupon the material. passes through the lling tubeinto-a container positioned therebelow. It is essential that thepartition 26 be provided in the filling tube for otherwise the materialswould intermingle ywhile passing therethrough and segregation thereofwould be impossible, It is'to be understood that the dividing partitionsmay be omitted and that the machine may be used to ll but one substance,and it may so be used when the partitions are employed. Furthermore, thedivisions and number of cylinders. and pistons may be increased Withoutdeparting from the purview of` the invention.

It ls manifest from the foregoing description that I have provided a:lilling machine wherein a predetermined quantity of material may bewithdrawn from a supply thereof and introduced into a chamber. Themachine includes alling tube which insures complete. lling of thecontainers. and which prevents waste of the material. Moreover, thevalve controlling communicationY between the cylinders and the supplyand discharge devices remain entirely open during the movement of thepistons through the cylinders and consequently there is no restrictedpassage during the last portion of themovement of the pistons. inopposite directions. Furthermore, the device is so arrangedfthat thepistons arel always returnedV to forward position but by arrangingadjustable means in different positions, the amount of rearward movementof the pistons and consequently theV amount of material withdrawn from.the storage devices may be expeditiously varied.

It will be seen that. by removal of the end plate I8, ther rotary valve.may readily be displaced endwise and' cleaned. In order to clean thecylinders and pistons, the cylinders are unscrewed from the valve body,as best shown in Fig. 3, and when so disconnected, are slid rearwardlyuntil free from. the valve casting and the hopper and are then swunginto the dotted line position of Fig 3 whereupon the cylinders may beslid endwise from engagement with the pistons and both the cylinders andpistons may be thoroughly cleaned. This provides a quick and easy methodof removing and replacing the cylinders, an operation that should beperformed at frequent intervals.

I claim:

1. In a filling machine, a valve body having valve means therein forcontrolling discharge from said machine, said valve body having at leasttwo spaced outlet openings therein with a web therebetween, and meansincluding a tube providing a discharge passage leading from said outletopening, and a plate mounted in said tube to extend thereacross andlongitudinally therethrough and aligned with said web, wherebydistinguished substances flowing through said outlet openings are keptsegregated during' ow thereof through said tube.

2. In a filling machine, a valve body having valve means therein andprovided with at least two spaced outlet openings, a pair of cylindersin separable engagement with said valve body, pistons in said cylinders,and rods for the pistons,

a cross head. engaging said rods, means for eiTecting. reciprocation ofsaid cross head, the rods being mounted for oscillation on the crosshead thereby permitting said pistons and associated cylinders when theyare disengaged from the valve body, to be oscillated into a position inwhich the cylinders may be separated from the pistons.

3. In combination, a valve body, a valve therein having two passages,said valve body having a threaded opening in communication with each ofsaid passages, cylinders having screw threaded ends adapted to beengaged in said openings, a cross head including a rotatable sha-ft,rods connecting said pistons to said shaft, a pitman also connected tosaid shaft, the arrangement being such that the cylinders may bedisengaged from the valve body then oscillated with said pistons androds into a position in which the cylinders may be disengaged from thepistons.

4. In combination, a valve body and a valve therein, said valve body andvalve having a plurality of registering passages, a plurality ofcylinders readily removably connected to said valve 4body andregistering with said passages, pistons in said cylinders, a cross headincluding a rotatable member, means for reciprocating said cross head,piston rods connecting the pistons to said rotatable member, thearrangement being such that said cylinders may be disengaged from thevalve body and swung with the pistons to a position where the cylindersand pistons may readily be separated.

RALPH B. BAGBY.v

